Apparatus for anchoring, mooring, towing or otherwise securing or attaching a line to a boat



1965 T. P. BRITTAIN ETAL 3,166,038

APPARATUS FOR ANCHQRING, MOORING, TOWING OR OTHERWISE SECURING OR ATTACHING A LINE TO A BOAT Filed Jan. 3. 1962 4\ 64 g- Z I 7,22 agy/ I) I x 24% mar |4\ v W E g 14 46 5 1 2-6 3o 5 if w 54 w}. g: a \3 44 d6 44 V40 1 g- .4 y M 158 m 24: %\Fig 5 mew T 56 "MM L INVENTORS all? Thomas P. BriHain Rober'l' N. Roley i L United States Patent 3,166,038 APPARATUS FOR ANCHQRING, MOORING, TOW- ING 0R 0 *RWISE SECURING 0R ATTACH- lNG A LINE TO A BUAT Thomas P. Brittain, 6606 44th Ave., University Park, Hyattsville, Md., and Robert N. Roley, 414 Rocky Place, Alexandria, Va.

Filed Jan. 3, 1962, Ser. No. 164,069 2 Claims. (Cl. 114-230) or yawing of the boat since the force created by such line is not acting through the center of gravity of the boat.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide apparatus which enables a line that is employed for anchoring, mooring, towing or otherwise securing a boat to be attached to the hull of the boat in a manner which enables the force created by the line to act through substantially the center of gravity of the boat so that pitching, rolling and yawing of the boat while anchored, moored, towed, or otherwise secured, is kept to a minimum. 1.

An additional object of .this invention is to provide a boat with apparatus which enables a line to be attached thereto at a location thereon which is along the fore and aft center line thereof adjacent the water line and fore of the bow of the boat.

A further object of this invention is to provide a boat with apparatus which enables a line to be attached thereto so that the boat will have a trim, when anchored, moored,

same trim that the boathas when underway.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a boat hull with apparatus that enables a line being employed. to anchor, moor, tow, or otherwise secure the boat, as desired, to be elfectively attached to the boat hull at a location thereon which causes. the force created thereby to act substantially along the writer line thereof so that theboat will have a minimum amount of roll, pitch and yaw, and enable the boat to have an eifective trim, when so secured, such as the trim which the boat usually or normally possesses when the boat is underway being driven by its own power.

' Another object of this invention is to provide apparatus V for decreasing to a minimum any chafing elfect on a line being employed to anchor, moor, tow, or otherwise secure a boat, as desired, by eliminating frictional sliding contact between the line and the hull of the boat."

Yet still another object of this invention is to provide apparatus which creates only rolling contact between; a boat hull and a line being employed to anchor, moor, tow or otherwise secure a boat, as desired; a

In order to accomplish the above stated objects and to overcome the disadvantages of existing known similar types of mechanism, the apparatus of this invention comprises an elongate bodily rigidrod-like structure which is removably secured to the boat hull with the structure being disposed in a generally vertical upwardly extending relationship,'i.e. more vertical than horizontal, and

' j fore of'the bow of the boat with the lower end portion jacent to and forward of the fore peak thereof. An anti-friction device is carried by each end portion of the structure with the anti-friction device that is adjacent the lower end portion thereof being secured thereto by means which enables substantially universal movement of the lower anti-friction device relative to the structure. Se-' curing means is provided for removably securing the structure to the boat hull with the structure being disposed in a plane which is substantially common to the fore and aft center line thereof, and a line which may be employed to anchor, moor, tow, or otherwise secure the boat, as desired, is passed about the lower anti-friction device between the lower anti-friction device and the structure, then about the upper anti-friction device to the side thereof which is opposed to the structure and then to a securement on the boat hull. By reason of the location of the lower'anti-friction device, i.e., along the fore and aft center line of the boat hull adjacent to the load water line thereof, the force which is created by the anchoring, mooring, towing, orsecuring of the line to the boat hull will act substantially through the center of gravity of the boat and accordingly will minimize any pitching, rolling or yawing of the .boat.

Other objects, advantages and important features of the invention will be apparent from a study of the specification following taken with the drawing which together de-. scribe, disclose and illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention and what is now considered and believed to be the best mode of practicing the principles thereof. Still other embodiments or modifications of the invention may be suggested to those having the benefit of the teachings, herein, and such embodiments or modifications are intended to be reserved especially as they fall within the scope and breadth of the subjoined claims.

In the drawing: 7

FIGURE 1 is a partial side elevational view of a boat having the apparatus of the invention employed therewith;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged side elevational sectional iiew similar to FIGURE 1, and.

FIGURE 3 is a partial plan 'view taken along the line 33 of FIGURE 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Attention is now directed to FIGURE 1 of the drawing wherein there is illustrated a boat 10 which is preferably of small. craft type and which has removably secured thereto, as will be explained in more .detail hereinafter, apparatus 12 which enables a line 14 that may be employed to anchonmoor, tow, or'otherwise secure the boat 10, as desired, to be attached to the .boatltl ina manner which enables a force 'which may" be created by the line 14, when so attached, to act substantially through the center of gravity of the boat 10 and eflectively decrease to a minimum the pitching, rolltending generally upwardly and forwardlyfrom thekeel I 20 and terminating adjacent the deck 18 at a' fore peak 24. The apparatus 12 comprises an elongate bodily rigid I rod-like structure 26, a lower 28 and an upperlfl) brackand set screws, or the like, so that the over-all efiective j length of the apparatus 12 may be varieda ccording to structure extending above the deck of the boathull ad- 1 et-like member each being adjustably secured to the respective oppositeend portions of the structure 26 by means 32 which may take the 'form of threaded portions the size of the boat hull 16 and the location of load water line LWL there'ons r Thestructure 26 having the bracket-like members 28, 30 adjustably attachedthereto' is removably supported by the - .3 the-boat hull 16 through'a' lower 34 rod-like element part of the boat hull whereat the line 14 is secured by and an upper 36 plate-like element' with the rod and plate-like elements 34 and 36 each beingsecured to they beat hull 16 by suitable securing means 38 which may be in 'the'form of screws, bolts, nuts, fairing blocks,tetc;,

or" the like, withtthe lower rod-like element 34'being' 3 disposed at substantially the, load water line LWL of the'boat hull 16 and the upper plate-like element 36 being secured to the deck 18 of the boat hull 16;

The upper plate-like element 36 has a part 49 thereof which extends forward from the deck '18 of the boat hull 16 and projects beyond the fore peak 24 thereof, and terminates in bifurcated or yoke-like end portion 42,

note FIGURE 3 of the drawing, having spaced apart pro- ,jections 44, 44 which define a recess 46 therebetweenwith the projections 44,-44 having aligned openings 48, 48 therethrough, at least one of which may be internally threaded; y

The upper bracket-like member provided with a portion 50 which projectstherefrom with the portion 5% having an opening 52 there'through which registers with the openings 48, 455 of the projections 44, 4-4 when the portion 50 ofthe bracket-like member 30 is-disposed within the recess 4-5 of the upper plate-like element 36.

Retaining means 54 in the form of an elongate pin, thumb screw, 'or the like, 'hav'i'ngan externally threaded portion for threadably, engaging the internally threaded opening 43, istprovided for passing through the aligned member lilt removably securedrto the upper plate-like element 36., l Suitable means'S, inthe form ofa chain, cord, or

the like is secured between the retaining means 54 and the'upper bracket-like memberfiilj to preventtthe loss bftheretainingmeans 54tduring use of the apparatus 12;,

The lower rod-likeelement 34 ;extends through theboathull 16 and terminates in 'a generally upwardly'and outwardly projecting part 58 and the lower bracket-like j memberlii is provided with a socket portion 60'for 'receiving the part 58 so that the elongated rod-like structure '26is disposed in'a generally upstanding substantially vertical position, i.e., more vertical'than horizontal, and 1 closely adjacent to and fore'of the bowof the boat 10 with the upper bracket-like member 3'9 being adjacent t the fore peak 24 and the lower bracket-like member ZS being closely adjacent the load water line LWL.

' Further, an anti-friction rdevice. 62, in thei form'ofa' roller-like element, is rotatably mounted to a generally I upwardly and forwardly projecting ,portion 64 of the r upper bracket-like memberf30 by a shaft 66 forlrota tion'about a generally horizontally extending axis with" the anti-friction device 62 being'disposed along. the fore r and aft, center'line LL of the boat 10.'-'. r

Another anti-frictionidevice 68, 'alsoin the form ofaroller-like element, is carried by the lower bracket-like member, 28, andis connected thereto byl'universal-typei connection means 76 which may be: in thefform; of in terlecking eye bolts, or the 'like',"with' the" anti-friction device 68 also being me plane common to the fore and aftcenter line LL of the boat 19. and disposed closely adjacent 'to the load water line g :It is of interest to note that the'rod-like structure the lower 34 rod like andfthe upper SGplate-like' ele merits, and the anti-friction devices 62 and 68 are all disposed in a generally iverticall-y disposedplane," i.e.,'

, more vertical than1*horizontal,j which is substantially 7 common to the fore and aft center line 'LL of the boatlt), g a

The line l' t'rwhich rnay bean anchor,' mooring, tow- 'ingfor s'omeother suitable line for securing the boat 10', g as desired; passes about the lower anti-friction device,

' openings 48, 48, 52 to 'retai'n the upper bracket-like a securernent 72, such as a samson post, bitt, or the like. From the above, it is to be noted that a force which may be created through the attachment of the line 14 to the boat 10 will act in a direction that is substantially through the center of gravity of the boat 10 so that all pitching, rolling or yawing of the boat 10 will be decreased to a minimum amount.

Further, by reason of the fact that the line 14 passes about the anti-friction devices 62 and 68 in a manner whichlmaintains the line 14 in a spaced relationship to all portions of the boat hull 16 until the line is secured thereto by the securement 72 all chafing due to sliding frictional contact of the line 14 and the boat hull 16 is reduced to a minimum since the contact between the line 14 and the boat hull 10 is only through the rolling frictional engagement of theline 14 with the respective anti-friction devices 62 and 63.

' c When not employed to anchor, moor, tow or otherwise secure or attach the boat 10 by the line 14, the apparatus 12 maybe readily and easily removed from the boat hull 16 by merely releasing the attachment, of the upper bracket-like member 30 from the upper plate-like element 36 by removing the retaining means 54 from the aligned openings 48, 48 and 52 and then lifting the apparatus" 12 so that the part 58 of the lower rod-like element 314' is removed from within the socket portion 60 of the lower bracket-like member 28. In this way the apparatus12 maybe conveniently stowed or otherwise maintained for future use on the boat 10. t

Also, the strain, created by the force of the line 14, 7 when attached or otherwise secured to the hull 16 toanchor, moor or tow the boat 10, will be'distributed sub-' stantially throughout the forequarte'rs of the vessel rather than directlyson a bitt or cleat as in the usual or normal arrangements for anchoring, mooring or towing boats.

In addition, by so securingthesline 14 to the hull 15 of the boat 10 as described, disclosed, shown and illust'rated herein, less strain isimposed be towing the boat-10..

While the invention has been described, disclosed and illustrated in terms of the preferred embodimentwhich it has assumed in practice, the scope of the invention:

,, should not be deemed to be limited by the precise embodi 25; the lower 28 and thefiipperiiflv bracket-like members,

6 8' to the side -thereofwhich "is" common to the boat hull-16,, and then generally"upwardly-and forwardly to, the upperanti-tfriction device ziz and passes. thereabout on thesigle opposite the boat and then to sorrie ment herein shown, illustrated,1des,cribed and disclosed and it is to be understood that other such embodiments are intended 'to be reserved especially'as they fall within a the scope of the claims herein subjoined; f i

We claim as .our invention: is t V r M 1 Apparatus for attaching a line to a boat hull at a location thereon which is substantially along the fore and aft center line thereof, said;apparatus comprising an elongate, bodilyrigid rod-like structure,-

securing and adjusting means forrremovablyand ad portion-of the upper element, 7 V

- said lowermemberhaving a socket for receiving'a part 7 an anti-frictionfdevice' :carried'n by each end. portion of the rodlike structure,-and

friction devices and the securing means, 1

said adjustment means'enabling the anti-frictiQnilevices to be positionedlalong the rod like structure ''with the upper anti-friction device beingdisposed :4 adjacent to and forward of the forepeak' of, such;

on a vessel which may said. upper member having ;a recess for receiving} '65, V l V y,

a universal connection between the lower of said anti: 1

structure in a manner which enables a force createdthereby to act substantially through the center of gravity of the boat hull. 2. Apparatus for attaching a line to a boat hull at :1

location thereon which is substantially along the fore and aft center line thereof, said apparatus comprising an elongate, bodily rigid, rod-like structure,

securing and adjusting means for removably and adjustably securing the rod-like structure in a generally upstanding position in a vertical plane substantially common with the fore and aft center line of the boat hull,

said securing and adjusting means comprising lower rod-like and upper plate-like elements,

upper and lower bracket-like members mounted on the end portions of the structure,

the upper element being disposed flat against and secured to the deck of the boat hull with the end of said upper element being of substantially yoke-like configuration and having aligned openings therein,

the upper bracket having a portion thereof provided with an opening aligned with the openings of the yoke-like part of the upper element,

6 an anti-friction device carried by each end portion of the rod-like structure, and a universal connection between the lower of said anti friction devices and the securing means, said adjustment meansenabling the anti-friction devicesto be positioned along the rod-like structure with the upper anti-friction device being disposed adjacent to and forward of the fore peak of such boat hull and extending beyond the deck of the boat hull with the lower anti-friction device being disposed adjacent the water line thereof, 1 whereby, a line may have the intermediate portion thereof pass about said anti-friction devices to enable one end portion of such line to be secured to the boat hull with the line being attached to the rod-like structurein a manner which enables a force created thereby to act substantially through the center of gravity of the boat hull.

References Cited in the file of this patent I UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. APPARATUS FOR ATTACHING A LINE TO A BOAT HULL AT A LOCATION THEREON WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY ALONG THE FORE AND AFT CENTER LINE THEREOF, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING AN ELONGATE, BODILY RIGID, ROD-LIKE STRUCTURE, SECURING AND ADJUSTING MEANS FOR REMOVABLY AND ADJUSTABLY SECURING THE ROD-LIKE STRUCTURE IN A GENERALLY UPSTANDING POSITION IN A VERTICAL PLANE SUBSTANTIALLY COMMON WITH THE FORE AND AFT CENTER LINE OF THE BOAT HULL, SAID SECURING AND ADJUSTING MEANS COMPRISING LOWER ROD-LIKE AND UPPER PLATE-LIKE ELEMENTS, UPPER AND LOWER BRACKET-LIKE MEMBERS ADJUSTABLY MOUNTED ON THE END PORTIONS OF THE ROD-LIKE STRUCTURE, SAID UPPER MEMBER HAVING A RECESS FOR RECEIVING A PORTION OF THE UPPER ELEMENT, SAID LOWER MEMBER HAVING A SOCKET FOR RECEIVING A PART OF THE LOWER ELEMENT, AN ANTI-FRICTION DEVICE CARRIED BY EACH END PORTION OF THE ROD-LIKE STRUCTURE, AND A UNIVERSAL CONNECTION BETWEEN THE LOWER OF SAID ANTIFRICTIONAL DEVICES AND THE SECURING MEANS, SAID ADJUSTMENT MEANS ENABLING THE ANTI-FRICTION DEVICES TO BE POSITIONED ALONG THE ROD-LIKE STRUCTURE WITH THE UPPER ANTI-FRICTION DEVICE BEING DISPOSED ADJACENT TO AND FORWARD FO THE FORE PEAK OF SUCH BOAT HULL AND EXTENDING BEYOND THE DECK OF THE BOAT HULL WITH THE LOWER ANTI-FRICTION DEVICE BEING DISPOSED ADJACENT THE WATER LINE THEREOF, WHREBY, A LINE MAY HAVE AN INTERMEDIATE PORTION THEREOR PASS ABOUT SAID ANTI-FRICTION DEVICES TO ENABLE ONE END PORTION OF SUCH LINE TO BE SECURED TO THE BOAT HULL WITH THE LINE BEING ATTACHED TO THE ROD-LIKE STRUCTURE IN A MANNER WHICH ENABLES A FORCE CREATED THEREBY TO ACT SUBSTANTIALLY THROUGH THE CENTER OF GRAVITY OF THE BOAT HULL. 